Out Date

Well, Mom will be home on Thursday. She doesn't look too peppy to be honest, but there is no place like home. She is definitely ready to come home. It is nice that a new round of home health care will be available, that is sure a big help and a relief too. I actually saw her bad arm today, it is looking a lot better, a lot less swelling, whew. I happened to be there today when the aide brought her lunch and I asked her how Mom had been eating, and she said not very well. She also unwrapped mom's dessert for her (some sort of ice cream bar), and said that she always finishes that lol. Hopefully her appetite will pick up when she gets home. She looks very thin . . . at least for a Morris Mallaney. She is not one to eat a whole lot at once, just eats little bits often throughout the day, so 3 squares a day isn't really her style, she is missing all the in-between stuff she likes.  We will wait on her at home and I will make sure to have her favorites on hand. 

Just like Mom's last trip to rehab, she is just out of quarantine in time to be discharged. Not that visiting through the 4 inch gap in the window isn't fun! I'm so classy, I just grab my cooler, it is the perfect height, I sit down and I'm right at window level. Unfortunately the cooler is empty when I go visit Mom.

Joe went to doc this week and had to go on cholesterol medicine. Interestingly enough, when he went to pick up his Rx he also picked up a pack of breakfast sausage too. I asked if the doctor had talked to him about any dietary changes and he said no, but today he came home from the store with oatmeal? LOL  I'll be going for blood work soon, won't be surprised if it happens to me too. Oh boy.

Finn went to the vet yesterday for an abscess, gosh it is nasty looking. $133.50. Yep. 

I'd pull up the garden, but the pollinators and birds are really enjoying it. The hummingbirds are very interesting characters. I could have done without this latest hot spell too. I'm ready for fall.

I'm off the Braidwood Rec Club courtesy of my friends Mar and Geo for beers and a cookout. Have a good weekend all!

Kay 

Back to Rehab

Well I got up to the hospital after work on Tuesday to visit Mom and she wasn't in her room. She was having a procedure. I assumed it was the elbow. I went to cafeteria and had some supper and went back up afterwards and she still wasn't back. I got to the car and my phone rang, and it was a doctor telling me the procedure went well they didn't see anything to be concerned about. What? Apparently after a blood test some numbers had dropped, and she had passed a little blood so they did an upper GI. What next! Mom tolerated the procedure well. 

So yesterday I got a call she was medically discharged and should go to rehab or released to home with home health care. I really feel rehab was the best choice. I was relieved because I am a little freaked on that elbow wound, so hopefully by the time she gets out of rehab it will be well on its way to being healed up. And she is very weak. So she is back at Park Pointe, 14 day isolation, and we can visit through the window again. Sad, but it is what she needs.  I popped up on my lunch break yesterday to see her before she got transported and she was a trifle hangry again. I called downstairs to see if she could have lunch, but they had orders she was on a liquid diet only. Mom did not wish to partake in any liquids at that time . . . oh dear. I certainly hope she got something to eat last night . . . a hungry Morris Mallaney is not a pretty thing.  I got some clothes together for her and Joe dropped them off last night but couldn't find her window to visit. I'll head over tonight after work.

So Jo Ann is out of the hospital and one step closer to home.

Kay 

Mom Update

Mom is still in the hospital. They opened up her elbow again today to drain some infection. They might have been going a bit deeper today, because she wasn't able to have anything to eat or drink before this procedure so maybe it was going to be more than a local. I gotta say she was a little hangry at noon today when I saw her.  She was also sitting up in a recliner. Poor Jo Ann. Hopefully the antibiotics will be able to get working with that gross stuff out of there. She is back on the regular floor. Her blood pressure is still acting up so they are working on that. No word yet on when she might be released. Her appetite is good and her color is better. She is ready to come home! Joe ran up after supper and said the procedure went well, Mom was waiting on her supper. They better feed her . . . lol. 

Hopefully my next update will be her discharge date!

Kay 

August

Mom is back in the hospital. She was not too peppy and when I got home from work Wednesday. She was very uncomfortable, her bad elbow was all swollen and sore. She couldn't move without pain. It had been coming on for a while but really got bad on Wednesday. We didn't want to hurt her trying to get her in car so we called ambulance and she had a comfortable ride to the ER. They admitted her, thank God. She is getting IV antibiotics for her elbow and the everlasting UTI. Tomorrow they are going to lance the small wound in her elbow and squeeze some junk out of there (ewwww), which I think will be good.  Just in the hospital room, not like a big surgery. She was on the regular floor, then last night I got a call about 10:30 and they moved her to Medium ICU, her blood pressure was super low. Not sure what was up with that. She is still in MICU today, they are going to adjust some of her meds. Blood pressure was pretty good all day, then took a dive again when she fell asleep. Poor Jo Ann. She is tough, sometimes too tough I think. I just left there, she was looking forward to meatloaf and mashed taters. Nothing wrong with her appetite, she is enjoying all her meals, she says everything is delicious, so that is a good sign. Her appetite had been declining at home. Unusual for Mom.  She still ate mind you, just not as much as usual. Not sure when she will be discharged, but I'm relieved she is there. She needs to be there right now.

Was sorry the reunion was canceled. Next year!

Tired of the heat wave too.

Was super busy at work with the beginning of school, but that is settling down now too. 

Enjoying tomatoes and zucchini and peppers and flowers from the garden. So are the squirrels and the goldfinch and the hummingbirds, but I am happy to share. The sunflowers picked bare of all their petals amuse me, but not as much as the petals raining down on Finnegan, and he is baffled where they are coming from lol. The goldfinch are incredibly efficient at getting to the seeds. 

I can't believe September is upon us. Time is flying by.

I'm sorry Mom is in hospital, but honestly a break is good. It tires one out, worrying and caring for someone like that. At night you are always listening with half an ear.  We are getting caught up on our sleep. It will do Joe good to have some days off. Plus we can crank the air during this awful heat wave . . . lol. I told mom that and she laughed and said they are cranking the air in the hospital, she is cold. I told her not to expect warmed blankets at home! LOL  But in reality she can have whatever she wants. 

Best to all,

Kay 

Home

Evacuation lifted at 4:00 p.m. today. Whew. It was nice to come home after work and not have to drive 45 minutes to John's house. John was an excellent host! Mom and Joe will be spoiled, but I'll have them back to normal in no time. John is on his way home with Mom, Joe and (hopefully) Finnegan, who had taken a liking to hiding under John's basement stairwell.  They tried a new chicken place over in Streator for supper tonight, Harold's (boo hoo I missed that). I think Mom will be happy to have her cable TV again, same with Joe. I also think John will be very happy to have his quiet, tidy house back! I think his cats will be relieved too, though there wasn't a whole lot of drama. 

I'm on my bed, laptop on belly, enjoying the smell of fresh cut grass. Too bad it is not our grass!

Best to all!

Kay 

Evacuated

Well, the Morris Mallaneys are Streator Mallaneys for a while. We have been evacuated due to the industrial fire down the street from our house. Thankful for John to welcome  us in. Not sure how long we will be displaced. Apparently 180,000 - 200,000 pounds of lithium batteries which were stored in the old Morris Paper Mill property are on fire. It needs to be extinguished with foam. Evac started at 900 block, then 800 block, I came home from work then to get things lined up figuring 700 block would be soon. Now the whole East Side of town is being evacuated.

Poor kitty Finnegan had a rough ride over, hurled and pooped in his carrier . . . ewwww, but he will settle in. John's kitties are upstairs, I'm down in the basement with Finn. The kitties have sniffed each other, but that is it. Then there was a growl and  a hiss big fat tails on the  John's girls due to the strange kitty in their territory ol.  Mom did well, though this will tire her out for sure. John doesn't have cable, so they will have an interesting day tomorrow.  Joe can find interesting things for them to watch on You Tube or something.  I have no one to cover for me at work due to vacations, so I'll be a commuter! LOL  

I was mightily amused when we were heading out. Mom said she needed help getting her pants up? I was ever so surprised to see a big pair of my bloomers falling off her, taking her leggings down too. ! I said Mom, didn't those seem a little big when you were putting them on? LOL I mean I weigh twice as much as Mom! If that is TMI, I don't care, it was hilarious. 

I'm in the basement chilling with Finn, eating pizza and having a beer. Glad to be safe and welcomed at John's lovely home! But I do not want to be here too long . . . lol There is no place like home. 

One more thing . . . I have read of people having go bags, go figure I never thought I would need one. Well, life is strange. Even if I don't have a go bag, I think I need a go list. I got mom's meds and her personal items and clothes, and cash, etc. and Finn's food and bed. But I forgot work clothes! LOL  Luckily I do laundry right here at Johns, whew. They recommended turning off AC with the toxic smoke, so I worked up a sweat bustling around getting things packed up otherwise I'd have no problem re-wearing them.

Best to all.

Streator Kay

Father's Day

Thinking about Bernie today. He would never move the cats so he could read the paper. He'd just wait for them to decide to move. He would say he didn't want the cats to get mad at him. LOL Cracked me up. Quite a change from Bernie's farmer attitude about cats back in the day!

John put some flowers at the Seneca Cemetery. Bernie would like that. John likes to park at the top and walk down. No ditch jumping like Bernie.  John came home for my 59th birthday (ugh) and a visit with Mom, and brought a delicious carrot cake. We went out and about and ate inside at Portillos, yum.  Thank you John. He will be celebrating his 55th next month. Old. Old. How come my hair is going white and John's is going black!? Weirdness. 

Mom is hanging in there. No great improvements. It is much like before except she doesn't have that mass in her colon now. The visiting nurse thinks she has a UTI (AGAIN!), and we are waiting to hear, hopefully tomorrow. I'll be sad when the nurse stops coming. She sure gets things done and it is hard to get mom out, so Carol taking blood, specimens at the house is a true blessing.  Same old same old. I'm hoping she'll get some meds for UTI, and then get put on a low dose regimen to help prevent them. I'm hoping for some improvement in her energy and strength then. Fingers crossed. She still has a good appetite. Like mother like daughter lol.  

Finnegan was under the weather, so had him out to the vet. Something else to worry about. Couple of hundred bucks later and an antibiotic shot, and he seems to be feeling better. Whew. My vet's mother and mom shared a room at rehab during her last stint.He has since lost his mother, a sweet lady. 

I'm glad Covid restrictions have loosened up. I've been getting out more. Last week I went with a friend to the Whistle Stop in Diamond and had a delicious garlicky hoagie and 3 beers. OMG. I slept like a baby and was a zombie at work the next day. I was home by like 8:30 too.  It was a bad day. Everything I touched broke or malfunctioned and my brain was unable to process anything complicated. Like words. Friday night I got together with some old high school/softball friends and an enormous yawn about split my jaw at 9:00 p.m. I was reminded that I used to leave the house voluntarily to play 9:00 and 9:30 softball games out of town that sometimes didn't start until 10:00 and sometimes the temperature was 100 degrees. And oh yes, I used to drink copious amounts of beer before and after said games. Ugh. Oh the memories. It was too hot to sit outside and drink a beer the other night.  I now have a 9:00 self imposed curfew, at least on work nights. And some nights I am fighting to stay awake until it gets dark. That is Kay at 59. Oh boy. 

Have a good week all. Can't help but think on this Father's Day how lucky the family was with such wonderful fathers and uncles. Good people good memories.

Kay ☘